Second purchase advice

[u/Medical_Banana1586]

Looking for some opinions as I contemplate a second rifle or shotgun! Currently I only own a 1301 Tactical…. Uses are mainly range/targets and sporting clays.

I’ve been eyeing these few, would appreciate any opinions on any of these, or any other suggestions!

-590a1 class III (14”): I figure i might as well get the king of pumps, tried, tested, and indestructible. The 14” model is quite hard to find but I see them available currently at a couple retailers.

-Intersurplus shotgun for clays: I’ve been eyeing the Baikal O/U but I have no experience on the durability of these. Ideally I want something that will last me a while and can be fixed if needed.

-SKS. I’ve been wanting a French tickler but all that seems available now are the normal Chinese or the Russian models

-10/22 or TM22… I know I need a .22 but they are just less exciting overall to me compared to the above models

[u/therowdyirishman]

590A1 14" aka Class lll is not necessary. You're further ahead to snag a Shockwave and spend the savings kitting it out exactly to your liking. EG stock, metal safety(S&J hardware is great), MLOK forend, etc. I would pass on this as you already have the 1301, unless you would utilize/appreciate a more packable wilderness defense shotty. Even if you do desire a compact bear cannon, I'd steer you towards a guide gun or stocked mares leg instead. This would diversify your collection my much more as well.

Baikal has a reputation for being tough as nails old USSR break barrel. I doubt you'd be disappointed with the durability or service life. You'll want to research chokes (interchangeability too) as well as ejectors vs extractors, and also how important fit is with wing shooting shotguns.

Definitely grab an SKS but don't get lost in the ban sauce and spend too much. Go handle one (or ideally a few) in person and score one with a bright bore and good stock fitment. Save the rest of the budget for a Canadian made rear sight mount and throw a decent micro dot on there. Keep running stripper clips and don't try to make it an AK/AR. You'll never get there and resent yourself for trying eventually. If you really need to you can add a white light or sling with plumbing hardware, or even a gasp aftermarket forend.

Lastly, 22LR modern semis - TM22, kitted 10/22, etc. offer a unique opportunity to shoot more complicated drills with round counts higher than 5+1 before reloading. People who say they can't be challenged by 22LR obviously aren't trying hard enough. With advanced drills, shot timers, barricades, etc. shooting the TM with your boys can be a competitive/fun/cheap/quiet way to put a lot of rounds down range to evaluate your skill development. Given you started with the Gucci gauge (bravo, I highly endorse this) my honest recommendation on what to get next is a 22 semi to try some Ben Stoeger, Milspec Mojo, Baer Solutions style shooting with.

[u/Medical_Banana1586 → u/therowdyirishman]

Thank you very much for this detailed response! After reading a few recommendations I think the SKS would fit the bill best- a full power rifle and one of the last semi auto center fire’s available.

Do you think something like this is overkill? Should I just get an OG Chinese SKS instead (I see some for 750-800 in my area)? Unfortunately none of the local retailers seem to have one so going in to handle one in person might not be possible unfortunately…

https://www.gunpost.ca/firearms/rifles/city-montreal/matching-numbers-french-tickler-sks-full-package-1400

[u/therowdyirishman → u/Medical_Banana1586]

Happy to help!

A lot of fun can be had with an SKS. It's a shame the prices have been artificially inflated here. I wouldn't pay for someone else's custom build, people overestimate their abilities and can have made mistakes that aren't visible in the ad photos. I'd encourage you to take a road trip to handle a few SKS in person. Don't get too hung up on the country of origin. Personally all I added to my SKS was a red dot and a slip on pad to increase LOP. You can practice all the fundamentals of marksmanship with an SKS in the traditional config. It's never going to be a platform that's well suited for improving your accuracy or tactical drills (tac reloads from pouches). If that's your goal you really are better off with a TM22. I say that as someone who's owned everything on your potential buy list, plus now prohibited rifles and tons of 22 semis.